No. 14/14t Buckeyes Take on No. 7/7 Wolverines

BUCKEYE SLAPSHOTS

• The Buckeyes moved into all three national polls this week. The squad is No. 13 in the InsideCollegeHockey.com Power Rankings, No. 14 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 14 (tied) in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine rankings.

• The squad is ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense (1.83 goals allowed per game),  sixth on the penalty kill (90.2%) and ninth on the power play (24.6%).

• The Buckeyes enter the weekend on five-game winning and seven-game unbeaten streaks. They have outscored their opponents, 20-2, in the last five games combined and 27-6 in the seven-game unbeaten streak.

• This weekend is the first of two series between Ohio State and Michigan. The teams will meet in Columbus Jan. 13 and then face off outdoors in The Frozen Diamond Faceoff Jan. 15 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

 

Drop the Puck

The No. 14/14t Ohio State men’s hockey hits the road this week for a two-game series with No. 7/7 Michigan. The Buckeyes (8-3-1, 6-2-1-1 CCHA) and Wolverines (7-3-2, 3-3-2-1 CCHA) will meet at 7:35 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

 

Gameday Info

Both games this weekend will be carried by The Ohio State-IMG Sports Network, available in Columbus at 1460 AM and online for free at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

 

The game Friday will be televised by Comcast in Michigan. Neither game will be streamed online.

 

Live stats will be available for both contests. Links for audio and live stats can be found on the new Ohio State Men’s Hockey Gameday page: http://go.osu.edu/mhkygamecenter.

 

BUCKEYE BRIEF

Ohio State, under second-year head coach Mark Osiecki, enters the weekend on five-game winning and seven-game unbeaten streaks. The team, tied for second place in the CCHA, is averaging 3.17 goals a game this season, while holding opponents to 1.83 goals an outing to rank sixth nationally in team defense. The squad is ninth in the NCAA on the power play, with 14 goals on 57 chances (24.6 percent), and ranks sixth nationally on the penalty kill, stopping 55-of-61 opponent opportunities (90.2 percent).

 

Sophomore Chris Crane and senior Danny Dries share the team lead with 12 points each. Dries has a team-best eight goals, followed by Crane with six. Junior defenseman Devon Krogh leads the squad with seven assists, with Crane and freshman Ryan Dzingel tied for second with six each.

 

In net, senior Cal Heeter has started 10 games and has a 1.73 goals-against average and .934 save percentage, as well as a 7-1-1 record and two shutouts. Junior Brady Hjelle has played in three games, with two starts, and has a 1.80 gaa and .938 svpct.

 

LAST TIME OUT - BUCKEYES SWEEP WILDCATS, 4-1, 4-1

The Buckeyes are coming off two 4-1 wins at home against Northern Michigan last week.

 

Friday, a three-goal third period lifted Ohio State to a 4-1 victory over No. 14/15 Northern Michigan. The Wildcats had the only first-period goal for a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes. Just 1:16 into the second Buckeye sophomore Alex Szczechura tied the game at 1-all. The game remained deadlocked until Chris Crane’s tally with the Buckeyes on a major power play in the third. Cory Schneider then scored an even-strength goal at 17:28 and tallied with the Wildcat net empty at 18:51. Ohio State outshot the Wildcats, 38-13, in the win, including 33-7 over the final two periods (21-4 in the third). Crane had a goal and an assist for a two-point game, while freshman defenseman Al McLean had two helpers in the victory.

 

Saturday, Ohio State led the game 1-0 after the opening period and 2-0 after the second stanza on goals by Danny Dries and Nick Oddo. The Wildcats cut the lead in half with a tally at 3:12 of the third period but Ohio State responded with a power-play goal from Curtis Gedig 1:02 later to regain the two-goal advantage and added a tally from Alex Lippincott at 7:06 for a three-goal lead. Gedig, Lippincott, Oddo and Dries each added an assist in the game for a two-point night. Senior goalie Cal Heeter had 18 saves, as Ohio State outshot the Wildcats, 38-19.

 

Buckeyes vs. Wolverines

The Buckeyes trail the all-time series with the Wolverines, 31-68-11, including 12-35-6 in Ann Arbor. Michigan leads in the last 10 matchups, 7-3, and has won the last three meetings.

 

The teams played four times last year. In December they split a series in Columbus, with a 3-2 Ohio State win in overtime and 2-1 Wolverine victory in game two. In Ann Arbor in February Michigan won two one-goal games (3-2, 2-1).

 

Wolverine Wisdom

Michigan, ranked seventh nationally, is 7-3-2 on the year and 3-3-2-1 in CCHA play. The squad was 0-1-1 at Miami last week, with a 2-1 loss and 3-3 overtime tie and shootout loss. The squad is 7-1-0 at home on the year, with a loss to Western Michigan Nov. 4 ending the team’s 20-game home winning streak.

 

The Wolverines average 4.17 goals a game to rank fourth nationally and are ninth in team defense (2.08). The power play is at 17 percent (9-for-53) and the penalty kill is at 83.6 percent (46-of-55).

 

Junior Lindsay Sparks is first on the team with 13 points and shares the assist lead with senior Greg Pateryn with eight each. Junior A.J. Treais and freshman Phil Di Giuseppe are tied for first with six goals apiece. In goal senior Shawn Hunwick is 7-2-2, with a 1.76 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.

 

Noting the Ohio State Squad

• Ohio State is holding opponents to 1.83 goals an outing to rank sixth nationally in team defense. The team has allowed two goals or fewer in each of the last seven games.

• Ohio State is ninth in the NCAA on the power play, with 14 goals on 57 chances (24.6 percent). The team has a power-play goal in each of the last six games it has had at least one power-play opportunity.

• The squad is sixth nationally on the penalty kill, stopping 55-of-61 opponent opportunities (90.2 percent), and has not allowed a power play goal in the last five games, stopping all 19 opponent chances. The team has been assessed just four penalties in each of the last four games, marking a season low. Northern Michigan had three power-play chances in the series last weekend.

• The five-game winning streak is the longest since winning six games in a row Dec. 10-Jan. 8 last season. The seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1) is the longest since a 13-game unbeaten streak (11-0-2) Nov. 22, 2008-Jan. 23, 2009.

• The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents, 20-2, in the last five games combined and 27-6 in the seven-game unbeaten streak.

• The team, outshot in six of its first seven games, has outshot its opponents in each of the last five games, averaging 39.2 a contest. Northern Michigan had an Ohio State opponent season-low 13 shots on net last Friday.

• The Buckeyes’ team-record shutout streak was ended at 211:58 with Northern Michigan’s first-period goal last Friday.

• Last Friday, Ohio State won for the second time this season when trailing after the first period. The team is 6-1 when leading after the first and 2-2 when trailing after 20 minutes.

• Ohio State has scored 15 third-period goals to go along with 11 in the first and 12 in the second. The squad has given up just four second-period tallies this year, allowing eight goals in the first and 10 in the second.

 

BUCKEYE THIS AND THAT

• Senior goalie Cal Heeter is sixth in the NCAA and second in the CCHA with a 1.73 goals-against average, ranking ninth nationally and third in the conference in save percentage (.934). He is tied for third nationally in winning percentage (.833) and is unbeaten in his last six games (5-0-1), with two shutouts. Heeter’s career long shutout streak was ended at 151:58 with the Wildcats’ first-period goal Friday.

• Senior Danny Dries had three points in the series with Northern Michigan and has a 6-3-9 line in his last five games combined. He is first on the team and second in the CCHA with eight goals and shares the team point lead with 12 points this season.

• Senior defenseman Sean Duddy played in his 100th career game Friday vs. Northern Michigan. He had an assist in each game vs. the Wildcats and has tied his career high with four assists on the year.

• Sophomore defenseman Curtis Gedig scored his first career goal last Saturday vs. Northern Michigan, tallying in his 46th career game. He added an assist for his third career two-point game and first since Jan. 21 vs. Notre Dame.

• Alex Lippincott had a goal and an assist Saturday vs. Northern Michigan for his first points of the year. He also had two points Nov, 6, 2010 vs. Alabama-Huntsville.

• Senior Cory Schneider had a career-high two goals in the Friday win over Northern Michigan. It was the sixth multiple-goal game for a Buckeye this year (Danny Dries - 3, Chris Crane - 2).

• Sophomore Chris Crane shares the team point lead with Danny Dries with 12 each. Crane has multiple points in four of the last seven outings after a goal and an assist Friday night vs. Northern Michigan.

• Chris Crane and Danny Dries each have four power-play goals this year to tie for second in the CCHA and sixth in the NCAA.

• In the Perani Cup standings, awarded for three star of the game honors in CCHA play only, Chris Crane leads the Buckeyes and is tied for the CCHA lead with 13 points. Cal Heeter and Danny Dries are tied for second for the Buckeyes with seven points each.

• As a team, Ohio State is tied for fourth in the NCAA in scoring among defensemen, with 30 points through 12 games. Devon Krogh leads the Buckeye blueliners and is tied for fifth in scoring among CCHA defensemen with eight points. Freshman Ben Gallacher and sophomore Curtis Gedig each have six points, with senior Sean Duddy and freshman Al McLean each chipping in four assists. Freshmen Clark Cristofoli and Justin DaSilva each have one helper this year.

 

Noting the Newcomers

• The Buckeye freshmen lead the nation in scoring with 42 points, one ahead of the 41 points posted by Michigan’s rookies.

• Freshmen have scored six of the Buckeyes’ eight game-winning goals, with Darik Angeli, Ryan Dzingel and Nick Oddo each scoring two. The trio is tied for seventh in the NCAA and third in the CCHA in game-winning goals. Ben Gallacher recorded the Buckeyes’ game-tying goal vs. Alaska.

• Freshman defenseman Al        McLean had the first multiple-point game of his career with two assists Friday vs. Northern Michigan.

• After Justin DaSilva recorded an assist Saturday vs. Northern Michigan, all 11 Buckeye rookies who have played in more than two games have posted at least one collegiate point.

• Nick Oddo had a goal and an assist Saturday vs. Northern Michigan for his first career two-point game. He has a 2-1-3 line in the last three games combined after he was held scoreless for his first seven games.

• Ryan Dzingel, who is third on the Buckeyes with nine points, is 18th in the NCAA in rookie points per game (.82).

• Ryan Dzingel is third among CCHA freshmen in scoring overall, with Darik Angeli and Ben Gallacher tied for eighth with six points each and Gallacher tying for first among rookie blueliners. In CCHA games only, Dzingel and Gallacher are tied for second among rookies with five points, with Gallacher sharing the rookie blueliner lead in points.

• Thirteen new faces are on the Buckeye roster this year, with 12 freshmen and a junior goalie. All 13 have seen action in at least two games, with 11 playing in more than four contests.

• The freshmen range in age from 17 (Riley Simpson, who turns 18 later this month) to 21 (Chad Niddery, Darik Angeli, Nick Oddo, Justin DaSilva). Simpson is the youngest player in the CCHA (according to collegehockeystats.net). There were currently nine 18-year olds playing in the league at the start of the season.